Pierce County Environmental Services Building

University Place, Washington

A brownfield site becomes a benchmark for future buildings as the design team applies non-traditional day lighting strategies to create interior spaces that are very humane and sophisticated.2004 AIA COTE Top Ten Award, jury comment

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Client Pierce County

Completion 2002

Map

Pierce County recently completed a 50-year Master Plan for the Chambers Creek Properties, a 900+ acre site stretching 2-1/2 miles along one of the largest uninterrupted stretches of Puget Sound waterfront under single ownership in the Pacific Northwest. Much of the site has been actively and extensively mined for gravel for over the past 100 years, resulting in a barren landscape abutting once of our region’s most pristine waterways. The Master Plan focused on “Reclaiming Our Resources,” an effort that will gradually heal and rejuvenate the entire site by reintroducing native species and incorporating public uses.

The Environmental Services Building is the first significant project to be built following the adoption of the Master Plan. Setting the tone for future development, the building sits high on the edge of the 200+ foot bluff, and was designed to connect people with their immediate and regional context. The “Rainier Axis” organizes the entry sequence, public trails and the parking areas and aligns with the iconic Mt. Rainier at one end and Puget Sound on the other. The north/south orientation of the building, coupled with a thin floor plate and staggered office pods, allows all of the work spaces to visually connect to both Mt. Rainier (to the east) and Puget Sound (to the west).

The facility has been as well-received by the local community–as exemplified by its popularity as the location for weddings and receptions–as it has been with the Pierce County’s Public Works & Utilities (PCPWU) Water, Wastewater, Stormwater and Solid Waste employees. Because of the non-traditional, naturally ventilated, daylit work spaces, some employees have even turned down promotions within the County because it would have meant relocation to another facility–a testament to the power of architecture to create positive workplace environments.

Awards

Press

AIA COTE - Committee on the Environment

2004 Top Ten Green Projects

AIA Washington

2003 Civic Design | Merit Award

Perspective Spotlight

Impact

The site now includes a championship-level golf course, which opened for play in 2007, was built over manufactured soils and is irrigated with treated wastewater from the Chambers Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant. The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones II–with Miller Hull designing the supporting structures–and is already recognized as one of the top links-style courses in the world. It was host to the prestigious U.S. Open golf tournament in June 2015, the only Pacific Northwest course to ever stage the U.S. Open tournament.

Defining Opportunity

The Steilacoom aggregate mine and processing site on the Puget Sound, south of Tacoma, was one of the largest sand and gravel operations in the United States. The site was mined for more than a hundred years, heavily transforming the local topography. The property also contains the tidal estuary of Chambers Bay, the heavily treed Chambers Creek Canyon, 2-1/2 miles of Puget Sound frontage, miles of creek frontage, and a variety of county services and operations. This project began the process of reclaiming the site, transforming seven acres on top of the bluff to a public amenity, including play fields, ponds, pedestrian trials and other amenities along with the Environmental Services Building.

Solution

In spite of the owner's conscious decision to not pursue LEED Certification, the team incorporated aggressive sustainable strategies and post-occupancy evaluations validate the building operates 30% more efficiently than a typical office building. The owner’s decision to reallocate funding that would have been required for LEED certification to a series of interpretive exhibits in the building and on site has had a strong impact on the people who come to the building. By demonstrating the benefits of sustainable water strategies through their own facilities, public agencies can inspire their constituents to adopt practices leading to changes in civic approach to infrastructure in the built environment.

Communicating Ideas

Introduction of natural light, interior vegetation and views to the exterior make for a more humane work environment. Space planning was designed according to a European office model, where no desk is more than 30 feet to a window. Enclosed office pods containing the individual offices and conference rooms slash through the open office “tail” of the building and define the various departments while providing visual transparency through the structure. These office pods, or “chimneys”, serve as the primary structure allowing the office interior to be virtually column-free. They also admit natural light, provide locations for interior planters, and are instrumental in the mechanical system design. A raised floor air distribution system reduces the size and energy consumption of the…